Learn Hardcore German: Manchmal zähle ich im Kopf jeden Atemzug, um ruhiger zu werden. - Sometimes I count each breath in my head in order to become calmer.

German main clauses follow the verb‑second rule: the conjugated verb must be in second position, but almost anything can be in first position.

Here, Manchmal (Sometimes) is in first position.
Therefore the verb zähle has to come second.
The subject ich then follows: Manchmal zähle ich …

You could also say:

Ich zähle manchmal im Kopf jeden Atemzug, um ruhiger zu werden.

Both are correct. Putting Manchmal first slightly emphasizes the frequency (“Sometimes…”) rather than the person (“I…”). This kind of fronting of an adverb is very typical in German.

Why is it zähle and not zählt or zählen?

Because the subject is ich (I), and zählen is a regular verb.

Present tense conjugation of zählen (to count):

ich zähle – I count
du zählst – you count (sing., informal)
er/sie/es zählt – he/she/it counts
wir zählen – we count
ihr zählt – you count (pl., informal)
sie zählen – they count / you count (formal)

The sentence has ich, so the correct form is zähle.

What exactly does im Kopf mean here? Is it literally “in the head”? Why not in meinem Kopf?

Literally, im Kopf is in + dem Kopf → “in the head.”
But in this context it’s an idiomatic expression meaning:

“in my head / mentally (not out loud)”

German often leaves out the possessive pronoun with body parts when the owner is obvious:

Ich wasche mir die Hände. – I wash my hands. (literally “the hands”)
Er hat Kopfschmerzen. – He has a headache. (literally “head pains”)

Similarly, im Kopf zählen is understood as “count in one’s head.”

You could say in meinem Kopf, but in a neutral sentence like this it sounds more introspective / psychological (“in my mind”) rather than just “silently, not aloud.” Im Kopf is the most natural choice here.

Why is it im Kopf and not in den Kopf or something else? Which case is used?

Im is the contraction of in + dem:

in
- dem (dative, masculine singular) → im

Kopf is masculine (der Kopf). After in, you choose the case depending on meaning:

in
- accusative = movement into something
in
- dative = location in something

Here, we’re talking about a location/state (“in the head”), not movement into it. So we use the dative:

in dem Kopf → im Kopf

Why is it jeden Atemzug and not jeder Atemzug?

Because jeden Atemzug is the direct object of the verb zähle and therefore is in the accusative case.

Key points:

Atemzug is masculine: der Atemzug (a breath).
With masculine nouns, jeder changes in the accusative:
- Nominative: jeder Atemzug – every breath (as subject)
- Accusative: jeden Atemzug – every breath (as object)

In our sentence:

Ich (subject, nominative)
zähle (verb)
jeden Atemzug (direct object, accusative)

So jeden is the correct form.

What’s the difference between Atemzug and just Atem?

Both relate to “breath,” but they’re used differently:

der Atem
- General, uncountable “breath” / “breathing”
- Examples:
  - Ich habe kaum noch Atem. – I barely have any breath left.
  - Sie hielt den Atem an. – She held her breath.
der Atemzug
- A single breath, one inhalation–exhalation
- Literally: “breath‑pull / breath‑draw”
- You can count them: drei Atemzüge – three breaths

In jeden Atemzug zählen, the speaker is counting individual breaths, so Atemzug is exactly right.

Why is there a comma before um ruhiger zu werden?

In German, infinitive clauses with “um … zu” almost always require a comma.

The part um ruhiger zu werden is a purpose clause explaining why the person counts each breath:

Main clause: Manchmal zähle ich im Kopf jeden Atemzug
Purpose clause: um ruhiger zu werden – in order to become calmer

German spelling rules say a comma is mandatory before such a clause:

…, um ruhiger zu werden.
…, um Geld zu sparen.
…, um pünktlich zu sein.

What does the structure um ruhiger zu werden mean exactly, and why use werden instead of sein?

um … zu + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to …”).

um ruhiger zu werden = “in order to become calmer / to calm down”

Why werden?

ruhig sein = to be calm (state)
ruhiger werden = to become calmer (change of state)

The sentence describes an action done to change one’s state from less calm → more calm, so werden is the natural choice.

You could say um ruhig zu sein, but that would sound more like maintaining an already calm state (“so that I am calm”), not achieving it.

Could I say damit ich ruhiger werde instead of um ruhiger zu werden? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can. Both express purpose, but there are nuances:

um ruhiger zu werden
- Non‑finite infinitive clause (no explicit subject; same as main clause subject by default)
- More compact, slightly more formal / written style
- Subject is automatically “I”: I count … in order to become calmer (I).
damit ich ruhiger werde
- Finite clause with its own subject ich and conjugated verb werde
- A bit more explicit and often slightly more colloquial
- You can also change the subject:
  - …, damit du ruhiger wirst. – …so that you become calmer.

In this sentence, both:

Manchmal zähle ich im Kopf jeden Atemzug, um ruhiger zu werden.
Manchmal zähle ich im Kopf jeden Atemzug, damit ich ruhiger werde.

are correct. The first is just a bit shorter and very typical in written German.

Is ruhiger always a comparative like “calmer,” or can it just mean “more calm” without literally comparing?

Formally, ruhiger is the comparative of ruhig:

ruhig – calm
ruhiger – calmer / more calm
am ruhigsten – (the) calmest

But in everyday use, comparatives are often used a bit loosely to mean “somewhat more X” or “a bit X‑er,” not always with an explicit comparison.

Here, ruhiger basically means:

“calmer than I was before” / “a bit calmer”

So yes, it is comparative, but you don’t need a stated “than …” in the sentence. The comparison to the earlier state is implied.

Could I change the order and say Manchmal zähle ich jeden Atemzug im Kopf? Does that change the meaning?

You can say that, and the meaning is essentially the same.

Possible orders:

Manchmal zähle ich im Kopf jeden Atemzug …
Manchmal zähle ich jeden Atemzug im Kopf …

Both are grammatical. Subtle nuance:

Order 1 (im Kopf before jeden Atemzug) slightly foregrounds how you count (mentally) before what you count.
Order 2 starts with what you count, then adds that it’s in your head.

Native speakers use both word orders; the difference is minor and mostly about rhythm/emphasis.

Are there any pronunciation tips for zähle, Atemzug, and ruhiger?

Yes, a few important ones:

zähle
- ä is like the vowel in English “bed,” but a bit tenser and often slightly longer: [tsɛː-lə]
- Initial z is pronounced [ts], not [z] like in English.
Atemzug
- Stress is on the first syllable: Atemzug – Atemzug
- Atem: A like in “father” (German [aː])
- zug: like tsook ([tsuːk]); again, z = [ts]
ruhiger
- ruh-: u is long [uː]; h is silent but lengthens the vowel: [ʁuː] or [ruː] (depending on region)
- -ig-: often pronounced [ɪç] in many accents (similar to the “ch” in “ich”), though [ɪg] also occurs.
- Rough overall: [ˈʁuːɪɡɐ] or [ˈruːɪɡɐ].

Getting z = [ts] and the long vowels ä / u right will make your pronunciation sound much more natural.